There is a rare treat for music lovers in Jaipur, or even beyond, this week. Soul Connect, an initiative of Siyahi, is organising a scintillating evening with the Momasar Ensemble, a team of Manganiyars musicians.
The Manganiyars, known as 'musicians for the people', are predominantly settled in the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur, in the heart of the Thar Desert. Their repertoire ranges from ballads about the kings to poems and hymns of devotion written by various mystics. Even though they are known as folk musicians, the traditional music of the Manganiyars clearly indicates having its roots in classical music in India. The rawness of the folk juxtaposed with the complexities of classical music is what makes their music so special. The Manganiyar community claims that even a newborn when it cries, it is in rhythm and harmony.
The Momasar Ensemble includes a team of the following Manganiyar artists- Manzoor Khan, Bhugra Khan, Latif Khan, Bhutta Khan, Nehru Khan, Safi Khan. While most Manganiyar performances are of folk/ classical music, the Momasar Ensemble is a specially-curated devotional music set performed by Manganiyar artists. This never-seen-before performance will bring forth a new dimension of the music of the Manganiyars
The episode is special for Soul Connect because just this one time they have moved to being an evening performance, rather than their usual morning concerts, starting with aarti followed by music and ending with a traditional prasadi (dinner). The concert is on Sunday, 19 May, 7:00 pm onwards at Mandir Shri Radha Saral Bihari Ji, Jaipur.
